Pruning implement



1 G n W. mm Ym & m m W U 'R (No Model.)

nted Feb. .11

UNITED TATES l ATENT Fries.

YVILLI AM S. YOUNG, OF LORDSBURG, CALIFORNIA.

PRUNING IMPLEMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,433, dated February11, 1896 Application filed July 10,1895. Serial No. 555,565. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM S. YOUNG, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lords burg, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented a new and usef Lil Pruning-Rod, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in pruningdniives, and has forits object to simplify and improve the construction of devices of thecharacter referred to, with a view to obtaining an implement which ispractically extensible and wherein provision is also made for increasingor diminishing the length of the pull-rod.

The above object, together with other objects and advantages of theinvention, will be more fully described in the subjoined specification.

The invention consists in a pruning-fork of improved construction,wherein are embodied certain novel features and details of constructionand arrangement ofparts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated inthe drawings and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of animproved pruning implement constructed in accordance with thisinvention. tion showing the manner in which the sections thereoftelescope.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in bothfigures of thc.drawings.

- Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates the stock orhandle of the implement, which is preferably made of wood and hassecured thereto a metal plate or casting 2, having integrally-formedtwin lugs, between which is pivoted the short arm of a T- shaped lever3, by means of which the pruning'knife is vibrated in a manner that willhereinafter appear. The handle or stock 1 is preferably round incross-section and reduced in diameter at its upper end to receive thelower or inner end of a metal tube 4, which is united thereto in anyconvenient manner. The tube 4 may be made of any desired length,according to the length of pruningrod it is desired to construct, andthe same is provided at suitable intervals with guiding loops or eyes 5,through which the pull rod or wire reciprocates.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sec-' 6 designates the sliding knife rod orpole, which may be either of wood or metal, the same being of a lengthcorresponding to the length of the tube et'and of a diameter adaptingthe same to fit snugly and slide readily therein. Upon the outer end ofthis pole is secured the pruning-hook, which comprises twin plates 7,curved at their outer ends and extending in parallel relation to eachother to form the usual hook, within which the knife operates, the inneror lower ends of said plates diverging to embrace the doubly taperingextremity of the knife-pole and being secured thereto by means of rivetsor other fastening devices.

The knife or cutter (indicated at 8) may be of any preferred form,having the usual rounded cutting-edge and being pivoted between the twinplates 7 upon a pin or screw 9, arranged in such manner as to cause theknife or cutter to produce a shearing cut in a manner well understood bythose familiar with the art to which this invention appertains. It hasbeen usual heretofore to extend a pull rod or wire, made in a singlepiece, from the rear endof such knife or cutter to the hand-lever at thebase or butt of the implement. In this invention, however, I make suchpull rod or wire in two separate sections, one of which is pivotallyconnected with the knife and the other with the hand-lever. The section10 which connects with the knife is approximately of the same length asthe knife pole and is formed at predetermined intervals with eyes orcoils 11, into any one of which may be inserted the hooked end of theother or lower section 12 of the pull rod or wire, said lower sectionalso corresponding approximately in length to the upper section. Aspiral spring 13 is interposed between the eye or coil 11, at the outerend of the implement, and a suitable screw-eye 14:, the tension of whichis exerted to draw the upper pullrod section upward for the purpose ofholding the knife open in the manner shown in the drawings.

15 designates a thumb screw, which passes through the upper end of thetube 4:, and bears at its inner end against the knife-pole for holdingthe latter at any desired adjustment.

The operation. of the device is as follows: When it is desired tolengthen the implement, the hooked end of the lower pull-rod section isdisengaged from the eye of the upper section and the thumb-screwloosened, thus allowing the knife-pole to be drawn outwardly from thetube 4. It will be noticed that a notch 16 is formed in the outer end ofthe tube 4, and that the knife-pole 6 is marked at intervals by suitabletack-heads 17, which are designed to enable the operator to bring theknife-pole into the desired relation to the tube 4:. By now drawing theknife-pole outward until the next mark is visible in the notch 16, andtightening the thumb-screw 15,

the hooked end of the lower pull-rod section may be passed through thenext succeeding eye or coil of the upper pull-rod section. In thismanner the length of the pruning implement may be increased anddiminished with ease and rapidity thus extending the usefulness of thearticle and adapting the same as well for pruning trees and highbranches as lower bushes, shrubbery, &c.

It will be understood that the pruning implement may be made of anylength and that the upper pull-rod section may be provided with anydesired number of eyes or coils for effecting a corresponding number ofadj ustments of the length of the implement. By reason of the particularform of hand-lever employed for operating the pruning-knife thenecessity for removing the hand from the stock or handle of theimplement at each cut to grasp said lever is obviated, as said lever maybe always grasped by the fingers and may be operated with ease andrapidity, thus enabling the operator to accomplish a greater amount ofwork in a specified time.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. A pruning implement made in telescopic sections so as to beextensible, in combination with an extensible pull rod or wireinterposed between the knife and operating handle or lever, saidpull-rod being made in sections one of which is provided with eyes andthe other with a hooked end or finger which may be engaged with any oneof said eyes, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination with a telescopic pruning implement, of an extensiblepull rod or wire interposed between the pruning-knife and the operatinglever or handle, said pullrod being formed in two separate sections oneof which is connected with the knife and formed with eyes or coils atsuitable intervals throughout its length, and the other connected withthe operating lever or handle and formed with a hook or finger forengaging one of said eyes or coils, and a tension-spring connected withand interposed between the outer pullrod section and the knife-pole, allcombined and arranged substantially as set forth.

3. An extensible telescopic pruning implement, comprising a suitablehandle, atube secured thereto, a telescopic knife-pole sliding withinthe same and carrying a pruning hook and knife, a set-screw for holdingthe knife-pole at any desired adjustment with relation to said tube, anoperating-lever pivotally attached to the handle of the implement, andan extensible pull-rod interposed between the pruning-knife and theoperating-lever and connected therewith, substantially in the manner andfor the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aifixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM S. YOUNG.

Witnesses:

E. C. KNOTT, L. H. BIXBY.

